Conveying devices called xe2x80x9cbelt conveyorsxe2x80x9d and/or xe2x80x9cpallet type conveyorsxe2x80x9d presenting an endless belt driven by drums and supported by rollers, are already known. Such belt conveyors are sometimes used in the domain of catering, particularly for restaurants of Japanese specialities, allowing the customers to see different categories of cold dishes pass near them, a customer being able to help him/herself immediately by grasping one of the dishes corresponding to the choice that he/she will have made visually.
One drawback of these known conveyors is that they do not allow transport and maintenance of temperature of dishes which have to be served at a temperature other than ambient temperature, in particular hot dishes which are necessarily included in the range of dishes proposed in traditional catering and which can in no case be served after a certain time after they have left the kitchen without possibly being reheated.
One of the other drawbacks of this type of catering is that the conveying by means of a belt does not necessarily constitute an environment as convivial and aesthetic as might be desired for a restaurant room. In addition, the use of a belt conveyor limits the possibilities of arrangement in the restaurant room, particularly as the possibilities of such a conveyor rising and/or descending are very limited and this type of belt conveyor cannot follow a very tight curve.
The present invention has for its principal object to provide a conveying device, in particular for catering, of the afore-mentioned type and which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art in order to allow, simply and reliably, the transport of dishes along a conveying circuit that may present upward and downward slopes between two horizontal conveying zones, as well as relatively tight curves, while ensuring that the transported dishes are maintained in horizontal position.
According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the conveying device comprises a frame, first guiding means mounted on said frame along a conveying circuit, several transport trolleys distributed along said conveying circuit, and a system for driving each of the transport trolleys comprising second guiding means mounted on each of the transport trolleys and intended to cooperate with said first guiding means in order to guide the movement of said transport trolleys along said conveying circuit, transmission means adapted to be connected to said transport trolleys and powering means actuating said transmission means so as to drive said transport trolleys with respect to said frame by cooperation between said second guiding means and said first guiding means, each of said transport trolleys comprising a support having at least one useful face, advantageously intended for supporting at least one dish and means for maintaining said useful face substantially horizontal.
It will be understood that, according to one of the essential aspects of the present invention, the transport trolleys may ensure individual transport of different dishes, guaranteeing their horizontality, each trolley being able to be replaced or moved independently of the others, this allowing a great flexibility of arrangement.
The connection between said transmission means and each of the transport trolleys is advantageously disengageable.
According to a non-limiting preferred configuration, said transmission means comprise a chain connecting said transport trolleys to one another, said powering means actuating said chain with respect to said first guiding means.
According to another non-limiting preferred configuration, said transport trolleys each comprise an upright or post awhich is connected to said chain and in that said support is connected to an upper end part of said upright.
According to an advantageous preferred arrangement, said means for ensuring that said useful face is maintained substantially horizontal comprise a pivoting connection of horizontal axis, between said upright and said chain, and a counterweight equipping a lower end part of said upright. In this way, the trolleys form, thanks to the counterweight placed opposite the upright with respect to the dish support, rocking levers mounted to pivot with respect to the chain which supports them, at the level of the pivoting connection. Thanks to this configuration, a re-equilibrium by gravity of the uprights bearing the dish supports is thus permanently ensured, the latter remaining horizontal in all circumstances.
In addition, it is advantageously provided that said upright of the transport trolleys present a vertical principal direction and in that said useful face is at least partially planar and substantially perpendicular to said vertical principal direction.
In that case, it will then be understood that all the weights inherent to the different elements constituting the trolley will, if the counterweight is sufficient, be aligned, this ensuring hold of the trolley in vertical equilibrium in simple and efficient manner.
In addition, according to an advantageous preferred arrangement, the first guiding means form a runway or traveling path, preferably closed, for said chain (endless if the runway is closed) and said second guiding means present rolling elements adapted to cooperate with the runway.
The principal advantage of this solution is to form a roller drive connection which avoids friction, i.e. noise and premature wear at the level of the drive system.
Advantageously, the runway comprises at least one guiding rail presenting horizontal sections, possibly placed at different heights and connected together by upwardly/downwardly inclined sections.
In this way, as will be seen hereinbelow, it is possible for the conveying circuit to define different zones placed at different heights (zones at conventional restaurant table height or zone at higher table height, constituting a bar . . . ) or to pass in rooms located at different levels (multi-floor restaurants) without affecting the horizontal position of the different dishes conveyed.
According to another characteristic of the present invention, said frame is provided with at least one horizontal plate adapted to constitute a table overhanging, on bordering it, at least one portion of one of said horizontal sections at a height such that said dish support lies at least at the level of said plate. In this way, the customer sitting at the table sees all the different dishes proposed by the restaurant passing in front of him/her, just above the table formed by the plate. These dishes pass successively in front of the potential consumer""s eyes by transport along the conveying circuit, but without the customer having the displeasure of seeing all the drive system which is hidden, inter alia, by the table and the frame, only the supports and the dishes that they receive projecting above the level of this table.
According to another very advantageous characteristic of the present invention, at least one support is provided with temperature maintaining means adapted to keep hot or cold a dish placed on said useful face of the support for a certain duration. Said temperature maintaining means preferably comprise at least one heat accumulator provided with a surface adapted to be in contact with said dish.
In this way, the conveying device according to the present invention allows, with a simple and reliable structure, the displacement of several transport trolleys placed one behind the other along a more or less windy conveying circuit (upward/downward slopes, tight bends . . . ) while guaranteeing that the transported dishes are maintained at the adequate temperature, whether these dishes be hot, cold or at ambient temperature.
The invention will be more readily understood, and secondary characteristics and their advantages will appear in the course of the description of different forms of embodiment given hereinafter by way of example.
It is understood that the description and drawings are given only by way of indicative and non-limiting example.